Network access providers often present terms and conditions that a user must accept prior to gaining access to a network. For example, a user may wish to connect to a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spot or an Ethernet access point. Initially the user may request a webpage via Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP). Instead of providing the requested webpage, the network access provider may respond with a “terms and conditions” webpage that presents the requirements for accessing the network. The requirements may include clicking a checkbox that indicates that the user agrees to the terms and conditions and clicking a submit button to send the data to the network access provider. The requirement may include payment of a service fee or provision of a username/password combination. Once the user has satisfied the requirements, the network access provider may allow subsequent access to the network.
This process presents a problem to users that wish to access a virtual private network (VPN) via the network access provider. The VPN may follow a security policy that does not allow for the initial insecure transaction with the network service provider. For example, the user's VPN software or hardware may not provide a by-pass mode that allows the transfer of the unencrypted data necessary to meet the requirements of the terms and conditions.
For example, the user's device may be a Type 1 product. A Type 1 product may include cryptographic equipment, assemblies or components classified or certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) for encrypting and decrypting classified and sensitive national security information. Generally, type 1 products may be used to protect systems requiring the most stringent protection mechanisms. To securely accept the terms and conditions, the user may have to first boot with an unclassified hard drive, accept the terms and conditions, shutdown the device, and then reboot with the classified hard drive to connect to the VPN. This cumbersome technique is inefficient because it requires booting the device more than once and physically swapping computer hardware. Moreover, the technique may be completely ineffective if the user does not have the unclassified hard drive available. Thus, there is a need for an efficient way to accept terms and conditions presented by network access providers while maintaining a defined security policy.